Education – 6th Grade (Wurtzel)

10/26: Today in class, we worked on:

1. We enjoyed being together for an all school T’Fillah- Havdalah service led by Rabbi Prass and Morah Alexa.  Several of the 4^th – 6^th graders had the opportunity to help lead by holding the havdalah candle, spice box, and wine glass.
2. Tell Me Something Good
3. Reviewed our scripts and the tweaks that Moreh Aaron made to some of them.
4. Went over the norms about when we are recording
5. Filmed 3 of the 5 skits. Will finish the last 2 next week.
6. We enjoyed being with the entire school for Shira  led by Morah Alexa.
7. Then Will Rivlin, an assistant Camp Director from OSRUI, came and we enjoyed a presentation from him on the amazing opportunities for fun, learning, and Jewish community from Reform Judaism Summer camp in Wisconsin. The camp website is: OSRUI. It was great to see several parents come to join us in seeing the video and what our learners were excited about trying.  We also heard from some of our students who already attend OSRUI. We all left with some OSRUI swag and a bag of ingredients to make smores.

Homework to be completed by next class:

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10/19: Today in class, we worked on:

1. Tell Me Something Good
2. Discussion about what the purpose of the skits are. They are purposeful to help us better understand how our Jewish values can be shown in our everyday life.  
3. Finished our scripts and writing the final tie in piece.
4. At Shira, Moreh Alexa started to teach 4^th – 6^th grades new songs now that the 4 chagim are behind us.
5. Finally, 4^th – 6^th Grade met Tefilla led by Rabbi Prass, Morah Alexa, and 5^th grader Luke K. Rabbi Prass shared an age-appropriate update on the Phase 1 of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.  He then led a discussion about how Beth Am is responding to the fact that the remains of deceased hostages have not all been returned to their families for a proper burial.  We concluded T’fillah with Oseh Shalom, a prayer for peace.  

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

10/12: Today in class, we worked on:

1. We shared “Tell Me Something Good”
2. 4^th – 6^th grade headed off to Shira, where Morah Alexa taught us a song for Sukkot, the chag that ends today.
3. We are starting to work on our final project for our Values (middot) unit of preparing skits to present what we learned.
4. Finally, 4^th – 6^th grade met for Tefilla led by Rabbi Prass, Luke K, and Morah Alexa. As part of it, Rabbi Prass helped us unpack everything about the hostage release and the end of the conflict in Gaza. 

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

10/5: Today in class, we worked on:

1. Today was Yom Sukkot in Religious School
2. For this session, we met at the synagogue.  We began in the sanctuary for an all school t’fillah led by Rabbi Prass, Morah Alexa, and Luke K.  We lit a yahrtzeit candle for the 2^nd anniversary of October 7^th.  Then we joined together in making Havdalah. 
3. After that we split into 4 Sukkot based rotations:
   • Making yellow paperchain to decorate the sukkah. We wrote the names of the remaining 48 hostages on each slip of paper.
   • We played charades with Sukkot and Simchat Torah themes/ideas.
   • We visited the sukkah with Rabbi Bellows, learned about the sukkah, lulav, and etrog.  We had the opportunity to shake the lulav & etrog.  We talked about what middot (values) we would invite into the sukkah this 5786 as our ushpizin (sukkot guests)
   • We did a sukkah ‘scavenger hunt’ to help us think about what we have/do at home that brings the sukkot lessons home.
4. We came back together in the sanctuary for an all school shira led by Morah Alexa and 5^th grader Luke K. 
5. Then we celebrated the Auf Ruf of Morah Rachel (5^th grade) and Moreh Aaron (6^th grade) who are getting married next Sunday. 
6. We ended with Sukkot trivia led by Rabbi Bellows.

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

9/28: Today in class, we worked on:

1. Tell Me Something Good
2. Discussed our Jewish Identity and High Holy Days. What happens during these holidays? Why do you have school off (secular)? Is it a true day off for you?
3. At Shira, Morah Alexa taught 4^th – 6^th grade a song “Tap Your Heart” to get us ready for Yom Kippur.
4. Discussed what Jewish values we wanted to tie together for our skits (end of unit activity)
5. Finally, at Tefilla, Rabbi Prass, Morah Alexa, and 5^th Grader Luke Kanter led 4^th – 6^th graders in t’fillah. Rabbi Prass taught us about the importance of second chances as we get ready for Yom Kippur.

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

9/21: Today in class, we worked on:

1. Tell Me Something Good
2. Continued our discussion about what values do we as Jewish people have and why we value it.
3. At Shira, Morah Alexa led 4^th – 6^th grade, and taught us a new Israeli song “Bashana Haba” to get us ready for Rosh Hashana. 5^th grader, Luke Kanter helped song lead. 
4. Students filled out a work sheet asking them what did they value and why? The last part of this worksheet was for the students to try and connect their value to Jewish values in their everyday life.
5. We finished the day with a discussion about how our Jewish values connect to our Jewish Identity.
6. Finally, at Tefilla, Morah Alexa & Rabbi Prass led 4^th – 6^th grade. Rabbi Prass asked us all to think of what good things we had all experienced in the now outgoing year. 5^th grader Luke Kanter song led with Moreh Alexa. Emmy Shorr, Luke Kanter, and Landon Gehrke were the students who had mastered blowing the Shofar and helped us fulfill the mitzvah of hearing the shofar during this month of Elul.

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

9/14: Today in class, we worked on:

1. Tell Me Something Good
2. The students were asked to write their own definition of the word “value”. They also had to respond to the question – how does something become a value?
3. At Shira, Morah Alexa led 4^th – 6^th grade in songs for the upcoming chag of Rosh Hashanah. 
4. Scavenger Hunt through the building getting the students familiar with different faces and the space we use on Sundays.
5. Started our discussion on what values we thing people of the Jewish faith have.
6. Finally, at Tefilla, led by Rabbi Prass and Morah Alexa, 4^th – 6^th grade heard the Shofar as we started the last week of the outgoing year of 5785. 

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

9/7: Today in class, we worked on:

1. The whole school gathered to start off the year with a fun assembly which included prayer, hearing the shofar for Elul, minute to win it Jewish style, and confetti ‘canons’!  It was lovely to have so many parents join us!
2. Then, 6^th grade parents joined me to learn what their students will be doing this year while the students stayed with Morah Alexa and the madrichim.
3. Discussion with parents about expectations and overview for the school year. A lot about a discussion of Jewish Identity.
4. Introductions with students, explanation of expectations and what to expect this year in 6^th grade.
5. Activity about what you know about our 4 main units that we will cover.
6. We ended the day with shira with the rest of the school and Morah Alexa
7. Students received lollipops on their way out to celebrate the tradition that Jewish learning should be sweet.

Homework to be completed by next class:

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